Country Heaven

by Vicki Green

  I stumble forward when I see a man, half carrying Colby out then Clancy runs out, dragging a large piece of wood from a rope behind him, almost running them over. They stumble when they get a few feet away, Colby falling to the ground and another man runs over to help. I start to run but Mac holds on to me. “Not yet. Let them help him, honey.” I nod and shake my head. My eyes leave Colby and keep watching the entrance. Nothing. No movement. I feel like I could be sick, my stomach in knots, queasy. I hear sirens coming close but don’t move my eyes. Two more men run towards Colby, carrying a gurney, setting it down next to him. My eyes start moving from him to the barn, back and forth, concerned for Colby as well. They lift him. An oxygen mask covers his nose and mouth. His arm raises, and his eyes move to mine. Thank God. He’s okay. He tries to sit up, but the guy holds him down. I give him a small nod, trying to tell him to rest. Movement catches my eye, and I snap back to the entrance. I gasp, covering my mouth with shaking hands. Riley is walking out, Memphis laying over his shoulder. I start to move but Mac grips my arm tighter. “Let me go!” Somehow I break free and start running. I stop a few feet away when I see Riley lower his lifeless body to the ground. My breathing is heavy from my excursion, my heart pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears.

  “Get me the AFIB!” Riley yells. Oh, my God. No! No! No!

  I watch in horror as a guy runs over carrying a small box and sets it on the ground next to Memphis. Riley opens it as the other guy rips open Memphis’ shirt. Riley puts the paddles on his chest and yells, “CLEAR!” Then I watch Memphis’ body jump. I take another step, Mac and Dallis on either side of me. Riley puts the paddles down again. “CLEAR!” His body jumps again then nothing. Riley sets them down in the box then gets up on his knees, placing his hands over Memphis’ heart and starts CPR. “DAMMIT, MEMPHIS, YOU STUBBORN MULE, BREATHE!” My legs start to give out and I start to fall. Mac and Dallis grab me, holding me up. “ONE, TWO, THREE.” Riley breaths in his mouth then look at Memphis. “BREATHE! DAMMIT!” Nothing. No movement, no rising of his chest. My body slumps, grief and sadness surges through me. He’s gone. He’s gone. How can I go on without him? Why is this fair? Why would you take the one man whose only crime is that he loved me, fought for me? Why would you take a man who loves the land with all that he is -- who would give a stranger the shirt off his back, the person who saved me, not only from a man who tried to kill me but from my selfish life? He showed me there is happiness to be found, there is love. We’d only just found each other. My heart beats so fast that it hurts. Everything hurts. Inside my panic overwhelms me. Take me! Take me instead of him! Please! Take me! Let him live!

  I choke on a sob, my legs giving out completely. My eyes close, rolling back in my head, as Mac and Dallis lay me down on the ground. “OVER HERE! HURRY!” I hear Mac cry out. I can’t do it. I can’t go on anymore. Not without him. Not without my love. My life. Darkness fills me.

  Sounds of weird noises invade my mind. Am I in our room? Where’s Memphis? Sudden flashes of the night hit me. “MEMPHIS! NOOOOOO!” I cry out. My arms won’t move. I tug and tug but nothing. “OH, MY GOD! NOOO…. OOO!” Sobs rack my body. I feel hands on my arms and then nothing. I fade into darkness.

  I feel the sun warming my skin. Light filters through my eyelids. It must be morning. Memphis will be hungry. He works so hard. My heart takes off in a rush as my eyes snap open. He’s gone. He left me. No, he was taken from me. I turn my head and look at the window. The blinds are shut but the sun shines through them. How can it be sunny on a day like this? It should be raining, pouring from my tears and shattered heart. I know at a lot of times there’s good things along with the bad but what good could possibly come from this? A sob moves up my throat choking me to be set free.

  “Sadie?”

  My head snaps the other direction when I hear Colby’s voice. The sob breaks free, my chest heavy, painful with its release. He’s in a wheelchair. His arm is bandaged from his hand all the way up under his shirt sleeve. He smiles sadly, tears in his eyes. “I thought you’d never wake up, sweetheart.” I turn back to the window not wanting to talk. Another sob escapes but I try to hold back the tears from falling. I try to move my hands up to wipe away the wetness on my face but can’t move one of them and my other arm is in a sling. “We’ve all been sick worryin’ ‘bout you. Everyone’s been here, almost the whole town at one point. I’m so glad you came back to us.”

  “Why? I wish I hadn’t.” I hear his gasp. “I have nothing to live for now. The only person I want is gone. I know I’m being selfish, but I can’t help it. I don’t want to be here without him.” Silence. Good. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to be here.

  I feel him near me, his hand touches the skin on my arm. “Sadie. He’s alive.”

  My head snaps to him, my broken heart starts beating again, almost choking me. “Wha…. What? But I was there. I…. I saw him. They couldn’t get him to breathe.” My voice breaks with another sob.

  He smiles. “They revived him after you passed out, sweetheart. He’s just down the hall.” I try to sit up but my head hurts, my shoulder, and my damn arm won’t move. “Hey, hey. Just relax.”

  “I don’t want to relax. I need to see him, be with him. Why in the hell can’t I move my arm?” I start breathing heavy, my heart now alive and racing.

  The door swings open and Tina walks in carrying a tray of coffees. “Oh, my God! You’re awake. It’s another miracle!” She sets the tray down on a table and runs over to my other side, leans down and kisses the top of my head. She runs her hand over my hair, lovingly. “Oh, bestie. I was gonna be so pissed if you’d left me.”

  I look up but can’t seem to form a smile. “I need to see Memphis, Tina. Please. I have to see him.”

  The door opens again and we all look. A nurse walks in and straight to my side, Colby moving his wheelchair back a bit. “Ah, you’re awake. Let’s see if you can stay calm enough and I’ll remove the restraint on your arm.” She smiles as she starts to remove it.

  I shake my head in confusion. “Um, why did I have that?”

  She talks as she walks to the other side of the bed. “You kept trying to get out of bed, saying you had to get to him, help him. You bruised your other arm pretty badly while trying so we had no choice but to restrain you from hurting yourself further. We were also afraid you’d hurt your shoulder more. Would you like something to eat? I’m afraid it will have to be something light. Don’t want to upset your stomach,” she explains, rambling as she checks something on a long tube.

  I frown, my brows lowering. “I’m not hungry. I just want to see Memphis. If you don’t help me get to him, I’ll do it on my own.” My voice wavers between growling and sneering but I can’t stop it.

  “I’ll help you,” Tina pipes up.

  “Oh! Well! I’m not sure I can….” The nurse mutters.

  “Yes, you can. Do it or I will go myself. I swear to God!” I push back the covers, lifting my legs in the air with strain.

  She starts to back out of the room. “Just let me get the doctor.” She turns and runs out.

  “Sadie. You’re weak and in no condition to….” Colby starts and I give him a mean look. I hate that I feel that way, he’s done so much. Why can’t everyone understand that I need Memphis?

  The door opens again and I roll my eyes. A doctor walks in smiling. Oh, my God! “Miss Tisdale. It’s highly against hospital policy to let you go to Mr. Johnson’s room, however, with the circumstances and from what Henry just told me, I’ll allow it. Just please, lay back down and the nurse will get you a wheelchair.” For fucking finally! I lay back down and try to wait patiently. Okay, not really. Right now, I just want to get to Memphis. The doctor checks a few things and removes an IV from my hand then smiles again and leaves the room.

  “Sadie,” Colby’s voice is soft, unsure. I look at him, my heart still racing. “You need to know that Memphis is still unconscious.” My eyes blink in disbelief. He looks down at his hands then back up to me. “He was hurt really bad, S
adie. A large beam fell on his back but mainly hit his upper back and his shoulder.” I have trouble swallowing the lump in my throat. “They had to do surgery, repair some damage to his muscles and there’s severe bruising. They’ve kept him sedated, said it would be better than him wakin’ up and wantin’ to see you immediately. Thought he could do more damage to himself. So, they kinda waited until you woke up before bringin’ him out of it.”

  “How long have I been out? What day is it?” Confusion hits me but flashes of that night won’t leave my mind. The fear when Jag grabbed me, his face as he laid there dead staring ahead with his lifeless eyes, then the horror of knowing Memphis was in the flaming barn, not being able to get to him and waiting to find out if he would come out or not. The scariest part of all, watching as Riley worked on him trying to bring him back to life and then thinking he was gone forever.

  “It’s been almost two days, Sadie.”

  Two days. Two days gone of my life, my heart shattered. I look up when the door opens and a different nurse walks in pushing a wheelchair. She stops it close to my bed and sets the brakes then helps me up and into it. She grabs a blanket and throws it over my lap and legs. I look at Colby. “I’ll give you some time together. Just tell the nurse if you need me.” He gives me that gorgeous smile.

  She starts to push me but I grab the wheel with my good hand, stopping it just as we get beside him. I lean towards him. He meets me halfway and puts his arm around me as I put mine around him. “Thank you, Colby. Thank you for saving me but most importantly, thank you for saving Memphis. You’re not just a good friend, you’re family.” I kiss his cheek and feel his smile as it lifts.

  I move back and look at the door. “Take me to my love.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Memphis

  I had the strangest dream. The barn was burnin’ down around me. All I could think about was gettin’ the animals out. But then I heard Sadie’s sweet voice only, it wasn’t sweet, the sound I loved, it was horrifyin, scared. My heart starts beatin’ like crazy, my chest heavy, and I feel pain in my back, my shoulder and clear down my arm. A groan leaves my mouth. “I’m here, babe. Just lie still. I’m here.” The comfort of a hand rubbin’ across my forehead, the sweet sound of my girl’s voice. I try to open my eyes wantin’ to see her beautiful face, but they’re too heavy.

  “It’ll take just a bit before he’s comes around and probably a couple of hours before he’s totally alert. Call me if you need anything.”

  Another voice that isn’t familiar, yet it is. Heat, flamin’ heat all around me. Colby came in to help me. He tried and tried to lift the beam but couldn’t. I prayed. I prayed so hard that no matter what happened to me, Sadie would have a happy life. I heard a voice and slowly open my eyes and can’t believe what I saw. Clancy came back. Colby put a rope over his head and then walks behind me and walks back to Clancy, yellin’ for him to run. Clancy bucked but then finally took off.

  “God, baby. You scared me so bad. I thought I lost you forever,” Sadie’s voice is sad, shaky. Is she crying? I can almost feel the softness of her fingers stroking my face.

  I try to open my eyes again. I manage a slit but then they close. Flashes keep runnin’ through my head. The first time we made love. Her laughter as I tickled her on the couch. Then burnin’ flames, thick smoke, not bein’ able to breathe. “NOOOOOO!” I hear Sadie scream. My heart beats wildly, beeping noises go off all around me. My eyes snap open, and I’m lookin’ right into her tear filled and swollen eyes. “Prettiest damn thing I’ve seen in a long time,” my voice hoarse, my throat dry makin’ it hard to get out the words. Her mouth turns up, her chin quivers as she leans down and kisses my forehead. She moves back but not far from my vision. “That’s not what aches for ya.” A burst of a laugh leaves her, and she leans toward me, finally I feel her soft sweet lips against mine. Her hand cups my face and my eyes want to close, but I don’t want to go back to sleep.

  “I’ll never leave you, baby. Close your eyes and dream of us.” I keep blinkin’ until I can’t do it anymore, and I let them close.

  “He said he should wake up fully soon. God, I’m just glad he’s alive.”

  Sadie’s sweet voice.

  “I know! I can’t believe Colby saved his life!”

  Sounds like Tina.

  “Nah, it was really Clancy that got the beam off him. If he hadn’t come back, we both would have died in there.”

  Colby. Clancy?

  I open my eyes and look around. They’re still hazy, heavy. I keep lookin’ around until they land on my girl. She’s sittin’ at a round table, Tina, Colby, Mac and Dallis all there. Mac bumps Sadie’s arm and nods at me. I smile, at least I think I do. I feel so groggy. She jumps out of the chair and runs to me, throwin’ her arm around me the best she can, and I immediately notice her left arm is in a sling but God, she feels good. She leans up and places kisses all over my face. “That’s not what aches for ya.” My voice hoarse and raspy. She smiles, so big, and then her lips press against mine. Shit I’ve missed that, longed for it, and didn’t think I’d ever feel it again. She starts to stand up and I move my hand to take hers but I feel so weak. “Are you okay? Your arm.”

  “I’m fine, baby. I’m just so glad to see your beautiful brown eyes looking at me.”

  My heart soars with her words. She has no idea what I’m feelin’ seein’ her face, her green eyes sparklin’ at me. “Sit with me.” She nods lookin’ behind her for a chair. “No, baby. Sit with me.” She turns back to me with a frown.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispers.

  My mouth lifts into a smile. “It only hurts when you’re not near me.” I close my eyes as I cough and wince. She’s quick to get a glass of water, puttin’ a straw up to my mouth. The cool wetness slides down my dry throat, and I sigh a little. I nod, and she takes it away then I pat the mattress next to me and smile. She looks down and then back at me.

  “There’s not enough room, babe. It’s okay. I can sit really close in a chair.”

  I look around her and see everyone starin’ at us. “Mac. Dallis.” They both get up, Mac tryin’ to hide his smile and Dallis not tryin’ at all. They get on either side of me, put their hands underneath my legs and lower back and I grimace a bit as they move me over. They walk away and I look up at Sadie, who’s standin’ there with her mouth open. “Looks like plenty of room to me.” She smiles and then I hear the most beautiful sound in the world, she giggles. Once she climbs into bed, carefully, and snuggles beside me, I feel like she still isn’t close enough. She’s afraid she’ll hurt me. I put my arm around her and pull her into me then move my hand up to her head, pushin’ it down gently until it’s restin’ on my chest. “There. Now, I can get better.”

  It’s not long after that Colby heads back to his room. Mac, Dallis and Tina leave promisin’ to be back in the mornin’. I turn on the TV flippin’ channels until I land on a movie then turn the sound down low. I tighten my arm around her and lay my head against hers. “All I thought about was gettin’ the animals out and then runnin’ back to you. I never thought things through when Spotty got scared and wouldn’t come out of the stall.” Her eyes look up and meet mine. “When I finally got him to run that damn beam dropped down and I couldn’t move.” Her hand squeezes around my waist. “I kept tryin’ to get it off me, I really tried but it was so hard to breathe and the weight was killing my back.”

  Her fingers press against my lips. “Shhhh, babe. I need you to try to keep calm for me.” I smile against her fingers then kiss them.

  She moves her hand back, placin’ it on my stomach. “I’m ok, baby. I have you in my arms. Well, arm.” She giggles. Sweetest sound ever. I look into her eyes, growin’ serious. “When I heard you scream, all I could think about is someone needs to help you since I couldn’t. I hated my weakness that I couldn’t get up to get to you. I prayed. Prayed so hard. I’m supposed to protect you, give my life for you, and there I was stuck under that damn beam.”

  She rubs my stomach.
“But you did protect me. You made sure you surrounded me with the best guys that could help when you couldn’t. You went in after the animals, helped a scared calf get out safely.” She smiles, love fillin’ her eyes. “I can’t believe Clancy went back in there to help save you. That’s amazing.” I lean down and kiss her, not able to stop myself. I want those lips on mine. She doesn’t hesitate but I grow tired easily.

  “So, what happened while I was in the barn? I heard you screamin’.” My eyes keep blinkin’. They’re growing really heavy.

  She touches my nose with her finger and smiles. “That, my love, is a story for another time. Let’s just say, you aren’t the only one Colby saved that night.”

  I want to know more, want to find out what she went through, but I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. I feel her snuggle into my side and sigh. I have everything I need right here.

  “So, you can probably go home in the mornin’, Memphis. I just want to keep an eye on you for another day, just to be safe. I can get Stella to get you and Sadie somethin’ to eat or if your friends want to bring somethin’ in, which I recommend, that’s fine. Oh, and I’m sure you both will be more comfortable at home in a bigger bed.” Doc Kendall winks, smiles and then leaves.